Rain
by RazorLike
Summary: The heavy rain had almost stopped, but his body still felt numb, wet and sore...And then he heard her voice calling him from far, very far away.
1. The Room of Memories

**The Room of Memories**

He thought he felt something moist on his hand, but the sensation disappeared quickly, before his mind could register it. Then, once again, something tripled down his arm and slipped in his opened palm. It was warm, unsteady and light…_.'Water…?'_ he thought, but the warmth engulfing him was way too enjoyable to lose. He decided to keep his eyes lightly shut.

Then, what seemed to be a droplet fell on his chest with a small musical _jingle_. As soon as he started to realize he was naked, the droplets start to fall frequently, densely, a little more heavy than before._ 'It's raining…?'_ he thought again, but still didn't want to open his eyes. Behind his eyelids he felt safe, lazy even…

The small droplets had evolved into something resembling a heavy downpour, soaking his body and hair. It was raining, but it felt warm, safe, familiar, not threatening at all. It was a blessed rain to his soar body and soul, like this pouring could erase his past, erase his every sin and mistake.

_'Past…'_ He frowned lightly. He could remember none of his past. He momentarily panicked, for he wasn't able to remember his name, or where he was, the panic gave off soon. It felt reasonable not to remember. All he wanted was to stay under this heavy rain…

"Open you eyes…." A calm, warm voice echoed in his head. His eyes moved, still shut, eager to find the creature this voice belonged to. But the rain erased it. He calmed down again, all curiosity wiped off.

"Open your eyes…" The voice insisted. He moved his lips, trying to form a phrase, but his body denied it. Again, it was _weird_. He would always control his body.

_'Wait…what?'_ He thought of _'always'_ as if he had a past and -what's more- remembered it! It was wrong. For he had no past, no future. There was only the rain…

"Don't deny your past, Ichigo."

Ichigo? He knew this name. It was… _'My name…?'_ Yes, that's right. Somebody was calling him! Maybe it was…

His mind slipped again, his memory failed him. _'What was I thinking, again?'_ Oh, it didn't matter as long as the rain was falling on him.

"Ichigo!" The voice fell harder, demanding on his ears.

_'Dad?'_ No, his old man had a lot heavier voice. This voice talking to him belonged to a female. A female…

_'Yuzu! Karin!'_ His eyes flattered, but didn't open. That's right, his sisters! Maybe one of them needed him, maybe there were in danger. Like that night whe-

His eyes snapped open and his breath hitched violently. That night, when Yuzu and Karin were screaming for help, he had heard this voice. A steady, warm, all too familiar voice speaking his name. A woman. He tried hard to see her in his memory but it was in vain. Only a blurry image was left in her place.

Suddenly he felt lonely and sad. He knew he shouldn't have forgotten this woman. He could tell, even now, that she was a very important person to him. What was her name? Raka..Ruka….

"Kurosaki Ichigo!"

_'Rukia!'_ The short, raved haired shinigami. His long time friend and ally. His….

"Look at me, Ichigo…." Rukia pleaded. It pained him to hear the agony in her voice, he couldn't stand it. He had to turn and face her. He would make this old body of his to mov-

_'Old…'_ He was old…His mind flashed for a second, and all his life passed right before his eyes. It had all ended when Rukia left, for the last time, for Seireitei, after the war. He never saw her again. She vanished along with the last remnants of his shinigami powers. Then he married to Innoue….

_'Innoue…'_ The happy but wrinkled face of his wife, her long white hair falling on her back threatened his body with waved of sadness. He contrasted her image with the happy young girl he had married to, so many years into the past. For many nights he would curl up close to her, circling her bright orange hair between his fingers. But his last memory of her was a fragile old lady crying above his pillow as he passed away…

_'That's right, I died.'_

The rain had stopped, but his body and face were still soaked in water. He slowly stretched his fingers, testing his ability to move again, and brought his palm atop his forehead. Much to his surprise, his body reacted better than he would have ever imagined. It was like he had never been old.

Then he saw it. The skin of his hand was tense, bright and youthful. His round nails were short and clean, no freckles or wrinkles stained his wrists and arms. He brought both his hands before his eyes and stared endlessly. He wondered if the rest of his body was also youthful. Feeling a smirk creeping up his lips, he sat up, really slow, and inspected his torso. The broad chest, the toned abs, the strong thighs and legs…

"You seem pretty amused…"

Rukia. He had forgotten of her. He turned his attention to her, ready to shout at her for being sarcastic at such a time, but the words froze on his lips. If his youth coming back to him right when he was nothing more than a dead man, her appearance was even more surprising.

She had always been well shaped, pretty and cute. Dressed in her school uniform, she would pass as an average high school student, but still pretty amazing and hypnotizing. Dressed in her hakama, the first time they met, she depicted the strict education and physical strength of Seireitei. But what Ichigo saw now was beyond his imagination.

Her hair, once short, almost grazing the back of her neck, was now falling freely on her back, touching the floor. She was kneeling before him, dressed in the finest white silk of Seireitei, a kimono tight around her chest, loose at its end. A light pink robe covered her shoulders, and Sakura blossoms were decorating her raven locks. On her lap rested her Zanpakuto, Sode no Sirayuki.

Her sight drained all power from him. He had never seen her more beautiful.

"Rukia…" he whispered and lowered his head before her.

"I thought you would never wake up." She said with a bright smile, content to see him lively and blushing for the fist time. "You really worried me, Ichigo."

"I did?" he questioned, and his hands automatically flew to cover his manhood as her eyes cast over his body.

"Quite a bit, actually…" Rukia laughed and gently placed her Zanpakuto on the ground next to her. A warm light circled the place where the sword was put. "It looked like you didn't want to wake up."

Ichigo measured her movements. Rukia's hands were gently flying from her sword to the ground, toying with her robes. He couldn't recall her ever being so calm. But, then again, years had passed since the last time they met. _'Even Shinigami can change'_ he thought.

"Where are we?" Ichigo asked and glanced around him. What seemed to be the floor was still moist from the heavy rain soaking him only moments ago, but there were no walls to form a room. It was like sitting in the middle of nowhere. A dark, vast nowhere.

"This is the _'Omoide no Heya'_, the_ Room of Memories_." Rukia gestured around them. "All souls come here before going to Seireitei, so that their memories can be either erased or replaced."

Ichigo frowned and chakled. "I don't see a reason behind that. How come I never heard of this room?"

Rukia smiled gently and tacked a long shiny lock behind her ear. "You never knew because you never asked! And there is a good reason, indeed. The maintenance of peace in Seiretei. Here all souls can begin a new life, without the hates of their past lives on the Earth holding them back." She stared at him deeply in the eyes.

"What are you looking at..?" Ichigo frowned and crossed his legs on the floor.

"You are just like I remembered you, Ichigo." She replied and stood up, her robes floating around her thing body. She stretched her hand out to him and grinned, somehow resembling the Rukia of the past. "Come."

Ichigo toyed with the idea of refusing her hand, but he didn't trust his legs. Last time he pictured himself, he had been old, wrinkled, slow and painfully_ helpless_. Though he could see his body gaining strength and youth as the seconds passed, he still had to be careful. He took Rukia's hand and stood on the floor, smiling. No matter how many years passed, he would still be looking down at Rukia.

"You seem to enjoy it." She muttered through slightly clenched teeth.

"I'm just happy some things still stay the same." Ichigo said and walked beside her. They headed into a dark but strangely cozy nowhere, surrounded by the faint smell of Sakura and fresh-cut grass. It felt like they were walking for ages, but it might have also been moment later, when they saw a light coming their way. Or, maybe, they were getting closer to the light with every step…

Ichigo could see the framing of a gate, and through it, the deep blue color of the night sky. There were no stars, but he guessed there would be the moon over them soon. And suddenly, his heart beat faster, stronger, at the thought of Seireitei. He hadn't seen its buildings, its gardens for sixty years. Would it be the same? What had change while he wasn't able to visit? Would everyone still be alive?

"Rukia.." he whispered as a hand tightened around his heart. "Is everyone…" he left his sentence incomplete.

"Everyone is alive…Just a little grown up." She playfully took a pick of him with the corner of her eye. "What? Mighty Ichigo lost his cool?" she teased. Ichigo felt the urge to bump hear head, but he remembered he was naked, and blood crept up his cheeks.

"Hell,_ no_." he stuttered. It was oh so shameful to hear her low laughter, knowing she was laughing at him.

They eventually walked through the gate, and his bare feet touched the soft, immortal grass of Seireitei. He glanced upwards, and the sight of the full moon eased the pain in his heart, softened the lines around his eyes, and melted his frown. How had he missed this sky…He breathed deeply, and the scent of flowers dived in him.

"_Okaeri_…" Rukia whispered. Her voice was so overwhelming; he couldn't resist looking at her. Her frame, always so frail…Her hair, like a river of black satin…Her skin, so beautifully pale and flawless. And then, her eyes on him. Those oceans of black, crystallite water captured him, threatened to drawn him. But only then he realized he wanted to be drowned.

"_Tadaima_…." He whispered back. He noted she was handing him something, and her eyes averted from his momentarily.

"Take this, wear it…" It was a black Shinigami robe with a white shash. Placed on them was a pair of white shocks and sandals. "You were bornd naked, Ichigo." Rukia said. "You died and were reborn, to finally become what you were born to be." Her voice was calm, but pulsating, coming from deep inside her lungs. He could tell she had been waiting this for years.

"So, now I'll be one of you?" Ichigo asked binding the shash around his waist. He was familiar with the robes of the Death God, even though so many years had passed since he last wore them.

"Yes. From now on, you are a shinigami. And…" she smiled brightly "I bet you are not in need of training, since I'm the one who trained you!"

Ichigo grimaced as memories floated in his mind. "That was many years ago!" he complained. Rukia sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Just for once, say yes!" she said and caught his hand with her own. "Come…"

"Where to?"

"My place. You must be starving to death…" she laughed with the small joke she made and pulled him along.

The small, pretty streets of Seireitei were dark and empty. It must have been past midnight, and the Shinigami were either sleeping or patrolling around Rukongai. Or – Ichigo smiled at that thought – they were drinking sake, like Kira and Renji used to do. He wondered why Renji hadn't escorted Rukia, considering he had a crush on her for over e century.

"You're thinking too much…" He hadn't realized she had been staring at him. He felt embarrassed it had been so easy for her to read him like an open book. Then again, maybe he gad forgotten how to cover up this thoughts.

"It's hard not to think. Last time I saw you, you were vanishing in the air. Last time I came here was over sixty years ago…I barely remember where we are." It was disturbing to voice his annoyance, but hiding wouldn't help him this time.

"Don't worry…" Rukia assured him "You will remember everything."

Ichigo sighed. Was it really that easy? He highly doubted that. He stretched his hand over his shoulder to touch the reassuring weight of his Zanpakuto, but, much to his annoyance, Zangetsu wasn't there. "Where is my Zanpakuto…?" he asked and slowed down his pacing, forcing Rukia to go slower too.

"Don't be upset. As soon as you passed away, Zangetsu materialized in the headquarters…We will give him back to you tomorrow morning, at the special ceremony of your comeback."

"A _Ceremony_? You know I hate ceremonies!" he nearly screamed, and the woman chuckled.

"You're such a child!" she scolded him and stopped in front of the thirteenth Division's Gate. She placed her palm on the old wood, and the gate opened soundlessly. In front of them laid a garden and a small river flowed nearby. The sound of the water floating relaxed him, and he even smiled.

"Come, Ichigo…." Rukia called and leaded both of them thought a long, wooden balcony. At the end of it stood a single door, in front of which Rukia knelt and slid open. Ichigo stared down at her, frozen.

"What are you doing? Stand up!" he stuttered and placed both his hands around her to help her up. But she nodded and knelt again.

"You are my guest for tonight…Please, come in." she invited him, keeping her eyes fixed on the floor. Hesitantly, Ichigo stepped into the room, and only then did Rukia slid the door back in place and stood up.

The place was quite large, with a wooden desk placed in one corner, a futon and a short round table at the end o the room. A large window allowed the moonlight to shed its silver light over their silhouettes. The walls were decorated with oil paintings of trees and Sakura flowers, giving away the air of luxury, but also keeping the low profile of the room's owner.

"Do you want some tea…?" Rukia asked and headed for the low table. A pair of tea cups were placed on it, alongside a tea pot. Without waiting for an answer, she poured some tea into both cups, took one of them in her hands and knelt down to sip it.

Her attitude disturbed him. She had never be seen nervous around him , but nervousness was the only emotion oozing freely from her body now. Her body was uncomfortably placed on the floor, her back straight and stiff, her movements sudden and firm. He sighed and paced slowly towards her.

"Please…" he whispered and touched her shoulder lightly "Please, stop being so formal with me…" He sat next to her and gently took the tea cup from her fingers. Her hands were cold when he covered them with his. "Rukia" he called her name "look at me. You were so happy a moment ago...What happened?"

A small jingle sound was heard, like a droplet of water falling onto the ground. "I don't believe it…You're here, and yet…" Her hands were shaking, and a trail of tears was shining on her cheek, under the moonlight entering freely in the room.

"Don't cry…" Ichigo muttered and placed both her hands in his palm, so he could wipe the tears with his other hand.

"I know it's silly, but I just can't believe you're here…" Rukia whispered and nervously wiped her tears. "It's just, damn it, so many years passed since the last time I saw you!" She laughed lightly, but tears were still running from her eyes. "I just thought you were so calm, somebody had to freak out in your place." She shrugged. "I'm silly…"

"You're not…" Ichigo whispered and touched her chin lightly, forcing her to look at him. "If I wasn't so happy to see again, I would cry, too." He smiled at her, and his fingers danced on her lips.

"We missed you." Rukia whispered and touched his hand. In her mind, she had tried to keep his image clear and vivid, like the last time they met. Now she was trying hard to think that this mad had died only hours ago, and had a wife and children on earth! But those fingers lingering on her lips and "accidentally" slipping down her neck were of no help! "S-so, whow's Innoue?" she lisped, searching for something to avert his attention.

"She knew I was coming here…" Ichigo breathed, closer to her face this time. "She knew I was coming back to you." He grinned, leaning closer.

"What are you doing?" Rukia whispered, but her heart flattered violently.

"What do you think I'm doing?"

He knew he wasn't going back anymore. His life belonged to the past, as well as Innoue. He couldn't say he never loved her. On the contrary, what he had felt from the very beginning for this girl was affection and pure love, along with the urge to protect her.

But he couldn't compare that love with the way Rukia made him feel. Around her, everything was simple, flawless, yet so urged. They never had time, never…

Every time, he now remembered, their eyes met, his heart would jump in his chest, aching, for he knew it might be the last time they met. His mouth would go dry from the fear of those unspoken words he may not had the chance to say. Every time their hands touched, his skin tingled from her warmth, and the need to touch her had almost been unbearable. Because it might have been the last time he felt her presence beside him.

"When you disappeared" he whispered "I said to myself it would be just fine, I would forget you. And I almost did." He grinned and left her hands free, moving his own on her face. "I had convinced myself it didn't matter that I would never see you again. And it all seemed perfect until that moment…" his voice lowered more and his arms circled her body, bringing them closer until she was lost in his tight embrace. " The very moment I closed my eyes, I wished I could see you again. And I did, when I woke up to the sound of your voice."

A single tear was slowly slipping down the side of his face, glistening softly under the dim moonlight. The woman reached out, blindly, and wiped the teardrop, then brought her finger in her lips. Tasting his tears felt like tasting his everlasting pain; a heavy burden on his shoulders never going away; a constant ache in his heart that nothing would put at ease.

How she wanted to free him from his pain…

"Don't cry…" she muttered. If only she knew the power her voice had on him…

"It's silly. You know I rarely cry." Ichigo half sobbed, half laughed. The reassuring warmth of her body had, at last, calmed him down.

"I would never rate you tears as silly." The woman protested. "They are priceless…" She nuzzled against his chest and brought her hands atop his heart. The steady beating and the light pulse convinced her Ichigo was there.

"I'm not going anywhere…" He said as if he sensed her relief. He pushed her body back to stare at her eyes, and what he saw made him laugh. Rukia was smiling, a smile so bright enough to take away any worry and pain. He pale skin was soft, her long straight locks fell on her shoulders and back, the line of her neck glistened under the moonlight. One stripe of her kimono was slipped, revealing the smooth skin of her chest…

She was so beautiful. Her sight lightened every corner of his existence; her presence was enough to send his heart flying, fill his soul with joy. He loved this woman, he had lover for so long he couldn't even remember. Without even thinking, he leaned closer and pushed his lips against hers. He watched her eyes widen and cupped her face tenderly. How he wished she could read his mind now…

Rukia stood frozen for a very short moment. The unfamiliar warmth against her lips wasn't disturbing; on the contrary, she wanted those lips to kiss her. To nibble on her. To swallow her whole. As long as she saw his eyes shutting, she responded to his kiss and brought her hands upon his. The warm feeling was already spreading from her lips to her face and down her whole body. It felt like she was on fire due to this one kiss. Yet she didn't want this fire out….

The teacups spilled the tea all over the table, and the teapot somehow roller over and landed on the wooden floor with a loud thud. They didn't hear the noise, or they just didn't care. What mattered now was their bodies, their shared kisses; Ichigo's arms around Rukia's lithe figure; her hand's trying desperately to undo his robe.

Ichigo pushed her, ever so lightly, on the floor, and with an even movement of his shoulders, slid the robe off his torso. His broad chest appeared, so lustfully charming, his flesh so vivid, so youthful, so strong. Rukia closed her eyes and sighed. He was even more handsome than she remembered.

She could feel his fingers touching her skin, now revealed and tingling under his fingertips. The fire in her body was getting stronger and wilder while his hands lingered on the sides of her shoulder blades. She couldn't wait anymore. Her eyes shot open and her hands reached the kimono; she pulled it down, and her breasts appeared, uncovered, erected.

Inches away from his lips...

Ichigo gasped at the sight and his lips parted in awe. Almost involuntarily, as if a magnet was pulling him, he reached his hand out and cupped her right breast. It fit perfectly in his palm. He shivered with the soft moan which escaped her lips, and his eyes flattered. His heart threatened to jump out of his chest.

"Ichigo…" Rukia moaned his name and held his hand onto her breast, while she guided his other hand to her chest, too. The man gulped. He had never expected her to do something like that. It turned him on even more to see this rare side of her, so lustful, so famine.

Rukia glared at him and brought her leg effortlessly to rest atop his shoulder. She smiled, knowing her actions had surprised him, but she liked it. No…She_ loved_ it…

She used her leg to bring his down until their lips met in a hungry kiss, so deep and filled with passion that made their hearts to lose their tracks. Ichigo pulled away from his lips, gaping at her beauty. His hands were still cupping her breasts...

He toyed her right nipple with his fingers, and the small bud erected under his touch. Hearing the pleased humming and light moaning she was making, Ichigo leaned closer and put the nipple in his mouth. Her fingers tangled in his hair and kept his mouth down, his tongue busy around the aroused bud.

"Mhh...Ichigo..." Rukia moaned and her body shivered. His lips left her breast and traveled all the way up to her neck, biting and licking. With the final destination being her lips, Ichigo brought his face closer to hers and grinned devilishly at her flushed cheeks and gaping mouth.

"I want you…" Ichigo simply said between her lips and his tongue dived in her mouth. With his robe at last pushed down his ankles, he laid flat on her body and greedily caressed the smooth and pale skin of her leg, pulling her kimono along until it formed a lake on her belly. He slid it off above her head and threw it on the floor.

On his way up, his hand rested on her hip. Her feminine scent tickled his nose, and his eager fingers danced impatiently. Parting her legs slightly, he caressed the skin of her thigh, traveling upwards.

Her skin there was moist and hot...

Feeling almost dizzy from lust, he slid one finger lower, where he knew he would find what he wanted. He kept his eyes on her face, never missing the light change of her expression, until his finger met a small, wet, pulsating bud. Rukia whimpered in pleasure as he run his finger up and down slowly. Finally it stopped in front of the source of the moisture. With an almost shy look upon his face, Ichigo dived his finger inside her.

"I...I want more than just a finger..." she moaned and pulled his hand up.

And she was there, under the moonlight, panting lightly, staring into his eyes, all his…

She just felt him diving inside of her with a single, flow move…

He saw her close her eyes and her nails dug in his back…

Their bodies glided against each other, their limbs twisted and the movements became a little rougher than before…

He just pushed a little harder, feeling her body savoring every inch of him, wanting more and more…

She _hummed_...

Then _moaned_...

She _screamed_...and then _yelled_ his name as his every dive, deeper and deeper inside, was bringing her closer…

He pulled her body up and sat her down on him with his neck arched back, the pleasure almost too much to bear. And he pushed her down…

They stared into each others eyes for a long, hot, sweaty moment. As her body moved up and down, Rukia pushed Ichigo on the floor and smashed their lips together. He closed his eyes and waited…

She didn't fail him.

Her body was so hot, so desirable, her eyes so filled his passion…How could he have resist? He just let his mind overflow with her image and then explode in a single wave of colors.

He heard himself moan, and he held the petite body down on top of him. Her muffled scream was all he needed, the proof of her delight; his name falling again and again from her lips…

Rukia slowly let her body fall and her head touched his chest. Her arms rested numbly on his sides. She relaxed completely and tried hard to convince herself all this had actually happened.

Ichigo stared at the ceiling, feeling her reassuring weight on him. He could feel the parts where her body met his, he could tell she was breathing as softly as she could…He reached out and hugged her loosely. He could feel her shivering in pleasure, her shoulders, her frail bones, the small curve of her lower back…

"I can't believe we just…" she muttered and turned her face to place a soft his on his chest. "We just…"

"Made love…Yeah, neither can I…" Ichigo completed. But then he smiled and pulled her up for a long, soft kiss. This time it wasn't hurried, nor hungry. It was a kiss only lovers can share… "But, you know what?" he said when they brought for air – something Rukia hated, for she could stay like this forever. "I don't care…_I love you_."

It was the first time he admitted his love to her. He knew he _did_ love her, but saying it out loud was a whole lot different thing...

Rukia blinked twice. Those words fell like a song on her ears. But then she smiled, herself, and pecked his lower lip. "I love you too…" she mumbled and took her rightful place again: with her head against his chest and her hand touching the side where his heart was.

While Rukia soundlessly drifted off to sleep, Ichigo stayed awake for a little while longer. He wanted to cherish those priceless, special first moments with her.

He had been given his life back, a second chance to live, forever this time, on Seireitei…

…With the woman he loved…

The woman now sleeping in his arms, the only woman he had ever felt so many things for…

He sighed, content. His eyes slipped outside the window and stared at the stars. In the past, their sight would have kept him up all night, with the strong urge to catch them burning in his heart. Now this need had almost disappeared, and in its place had been stored Rukia's picture; her smile and lips, her eyes, her kiss…

He possessed everything now. He had the love of his life, he had a new life...

At last, he was free. Free from any pain, any torture.

With a last, single look at the sleeping Rukia, he closed his eyes and followed her

…In a place where every dream can come true.

* * *

**This is my first attempt to write a Bleach story, so here goes the standard : I don't own Bleach!**

**Well, I usually do One-Shots, and this chapter here can as well stand as one...BUT! If you want to see another chapter, I will gladly make it a Two, or even Three-Shot  
(I'm not pretty good and accustomed with Multi-Shots, so...yeah... :S)**

**So, If you like it so far, just let me know! :P**

**Until my next chapter/Story**

**xxx**

**RazorLike**


	2. Never meant to Belong

_**Truth is I'm late in updating..Sheesh…**_

_**I can't keep the deadlines, but here is the second – and last – chapter of this story! Enjoy and…keep your eyes open for two great songs hiden in there...  
**_

* * *

**Never meant to belong**

A sinister laugh…

The scent of blood lingering in his nostrils…

The rotting parts of her arms and legs lay on the ground before him…

He turned his head, panting hard, sweat covering his whole body. The haori had shrunk around his body, it was suffocating him. When he rose his eyes on the sky, droplets started to fall on his face, soaking him more and more. He rose his hand to wipe the water from his eyes, mingled as it was with his tears.

He couldn't save her, in the end…

In total despair, he knelt on the ground and put both hands on his lap. Her head, ripped in two, was facing him with a pair of hazed eyes fixed on him.

Dead and gone…_Again._

Her hair, once long, shiny reddish and beautiful, was now chopped short and stained with mud. Not that she would care about it ever again.

Her eyes…He had to stop their silent cries for help. He reached out and pushed them closed, as gently as he could. He could now cry and mourn for her, nobody would blame him.

But when he stared at his palms, his heart quivered in terror. He yelled with all his might, for it wasn't water that was soaking him up.

Her blood was falling on him from the skies. He glanced desperately at his zanpakuto. His reflection stared back at him with streams of blood running down his face, starting from his hair.

_'No…'_ he thought._ 'It can't be…'_

"No….NO!"

He woke up covered in sweat, just like in his dream. Only, this time it was a pair of black eyes fixed on his, and the air smelled of roses and lavender. The metallic taste of blood, though, remained vivid on his tongue.

"That nightmare again…" Rukia assumed and crawled closer, offering him a cup of tea. Ichigo took it with trembling hands.

"Yes…It's always the same nightmare, every night…" Feeling grateful for the warm drink between his hands, he gulped it down all at once.

"Do you have any idea why you're seeing this?" Her long dark hair shone under the dim moonlight as she positioned herself next to him on the futon. But Ihcigo nodded negatively.

"I can think of one explanation, and it's the only one I can't accept." he said and put the cup, still warm, next to him.

"Which is…?" she asked.

Ichigo dived in her eyes, trying to find peace in her sight, in her scent. But, strange as it was, he failed. Filled with guilt, remorse even, he stared outside the window. The image of his wife, mangled, drunk in her own blood, filled his vision, his heart and his mind. In his nightmare, he could never save her and, in the end, Innoue was always dying because of his incapability. He was always arriving too late, when she already had been massacred by something he couldn't see…

It was late, too late…For everything. He couldn't apologize anymore…

"Ichigo?" Rukia called, and the man sighed.

"Though it seems unnatural…I think Innoue is mad at me."

Rukia's eyes grew in surprise. She had met Innoue while being in the Human World. They had fought and trained together, they had been close friends. She could not recall her ever being mad at someone else but her own shelf.

"Why would she be…?" Rukia wondered. She caressed the frown around Ichigo's lips and eased the wrinkles of worry on his forehead. "She had always been so very kind."

Ichigo smiled a sad smile and framed her face with his hands. "I don't think she's the same anymore."

And then Rukia knew something was utterly out of place and going as wrong as it could.

_Karakura Town, Kurosaki Clinic_

"Mother, I'm going out…"

"Ok…"

No _'take care'_, no _'have fun'_…not even _'don't come back too late'_. Kurosaki Masaki, daughter of Kurosaki Icigo and Orihime Innoue sighed heavily standing at the doorframe of her mother's bedroom. Said mother was lighting another of her candles in front of his father's photograph. The smell of herb plants was heavy in the room.

"Sayu is coming with me."

"Ok…"

Masaki had lied. Sayu, her sister, was not in the house. She had left hours ago and, as it proved, her mother hadn't notice.

The young woman turned on her heels and exited the room, leaving Innoue with her candles and herbs. Once, her mother had been a cheerful old lady. But since her husband died, she had lost herself in her sorrow.

Every morning she would take off for his grave, bringing along dozens of useless things, such as candles, miniatures of swords, slices of bread, bandages…Masaki was really worried about her mother and had tried to help her open up lots of times. But Innoue refused every time, saying she was fine, just a little tired.

Truth is, everyone could see that the old lady was slowly losing touch with reality. Recently she had started to talk about some "reiatsu" thing, men and women dressed in black called "Shinigami" and another group called "Quincy". Even worse, she thought she could see ghosts, and every evening she would leave flowers in specific parts of Karakura, saying these spots were the places people had died.

Her daughters had even thought of persuading her to see a doctor, but…

"Duh…What a night…" Masaki muttered and stretched her hands above her head, in a move so much alike her father's. She missed him too, of course. But, as much as she loved him, she knew she couldn't have kept him here. In comparison, her mother had tried everything to bind him on this Earth for a little longer. That's why she mourned so deeply.

_'She wished she had done more to keep him with her.'_ Masaki assumed. For some reason, unknown to her, her mother had always strived to keep her father close, or so it seemed...But things just got worse when he fell ill.

And continued to go wrong when Ichigo died.

The only thing that gave her a slight glimpse of hope for her mother was the gentle – but constant – assist of Ishida Uryu. The man had moved closer to their house recently due to her father's illness. His relation to her family lied deeper than she could explain. Over the years, Ishida-San would come and visit every now and then, so Masaki and Sayu had grew accustomed to his presence. For them, it was only natural when the old man almost _camped_ in their living room during the last three months.

That's what gave the two young women hope. They were almost sure that the old man visited their mother every night to comfort her. That's why they made a silent agreement to leave every night, even if they had nowhere to go, leaving the two of them together. Maybe they needed one another's presence, after all. Both had deeply loved Ichigo for many years into the past…

So, that night, Masaki felt relieved knowing that the carrying Ishida would watch after her mother.

_**~.~  
**_

They had inherited the house and the clinic. It was a gift from Kurosaki Ishin before he left, shortly after Ichigo and Innoue's wedding. For everyone, the man had decided to make the world tour in the memory of his wife, Masaki. For those who knew him and had ever been related to Seireitei, Kurosaki Ishin, former captain of the Gotei 13 was returning to his immortal life as a Shinigami.

Shortly after he left, Ichigo's two daughters were born. They resembled him and mostly Innoue, which Ishida felt grateful for. They inherited their mother's reddish hair as well as her kindness. He silently watched them growing, walking, saying their first words…He had always been supportive, knowing that Innoue would need help while Ichigo was on his missions in Seireitei.

When Masaki and Sayu were about six years old, Ichico decided to give up his secret identity and focus on his family. After all, Karakura Town was now peaceful, an idyllic place for rising up children. So Uryu withdrew from their lives, appearing only few times a years. Had it cost him, nobody knew…

But when his friend fell ill, his worry about Innoue and the girls grew wilder. He insisted on coming almost every evening to let Innoue rest, take care of Ichigo, cook and even clean up. Near the end, he was sleeping on the couch he had moved outside their bedroom.

But, in the end, he could save none of them. Ichigo died on the very same bed he used to sleep with his wife, leaving despair and pain behind him. Innoue almost fell apart, unable to cope with her sorrow. Masaki and Sayu failed to support one another, let alone their mother…

They all knew where he went. It wasn't a better place, and it wasn't Heaven.

"Souls don't have memories…" only said Innoue above his grave.

What she didn't know was that Ichigo's fate would be slightly better than the rest of the souls going to the Soul Society. That Rukia, who had been informed by Uryu, would be awaiting Ichigo in the Room of Memories. That he would be accepted in the Gotei the very moment of his entrance in Seireitei.

Ishida wished he could say that to Innoue. Watching her fall deeper and deeper in depression every day was tearing him apart. He had started to believe that she was slowly losing it...

**~.~**

The moment the bell rung, she knew it was him. She had been expecting him hours ago.

Opening the door, Innoue wished she didn't have to expect him. That would mean that Ichigo was still alive and well…

But no. In front of her stood Ishida Uryu. The former Quincy bowed lightly and took off his shoes before entering the house.

"I knew you would come." Said Innoue and led him into the house.

"I _always_ come." Replied Uryu and stared at her. How had she grew older, skinnier, shorter in those past months...

In the candle lit room, Innoue thought that Uryu's white, jaw length hair, his wrinkled face, his somewhat bonny frame matched his age. The physical decline of the body she had long ago accepted.

"We get older; we die…That's what I used to say to myself as the years passed me by. But I never was alone, Ishida-San…_He_ was here. Now" she smirked, but her eyes teared up "Now _she_ has him."

For a moment, the man stood in the middle of the room frozen to the bone. Then his eyes closed slowly and his body relaxed, like a heavy burden moved from his shoulders.

"So, you knew all along." He commented rather than asked. Tears were running down her wrinkled cheeks, once rosy and round.

"I knew she would have him in the end. Ichigo was never mine, to start with." A bitter realization. A statement, as cruel as death.

"But he loved you. He still does." Ushida calmly protested and Innoue smiled, wiping her tears.

"He did. He loved me deeply; he cared for me…like a brother does."

"But if you knew how he felt, then why…?" He sat on a chair, leaving the rest of his though unspoken. He pulled a chair closer and sat, feeling a little dizzy.

"Why, you ask? My dear Ishida…" Innoue sat next to him. "You know how much I loved him. For someone like me, having the love of my life had always been a dream. A dream that came true after many years of waiting."

The love of _her_ life…How long had it been since she realised that Ichigo only loved Rukia? Ishida doubted she had ever been decived, even the slightest.

"That fateful night when she changed him was the beginning of the end." Said she as if se had red his thoughts. "When she disappeared, I lost a precious friend. Ichigo lost a lot more than that…"

He remembered how lost he had seemed the day Rukia left the Human World. It had seemed like she traited him and choosed Seireitei over his love, and that devastated him and his feelings. Ishida remembered how desperate Ichigo was, how he had clinged on Innoue for help.

"I happened to be there. He happened to need love and someone to rely on."

"But now he's not here." ishida said. The woman sighed and slipped her fingers through her white, long hair. She remembered how he lover to run his fingers through her hair when they lay together in bed. Not everything had been a lie. They had loved each other deeply.

Only in different ways…

"At first I was mad at him. Leaving me like this, so effortlessly only to meet her…" she shook her head. "I felt deceived for the first time. It was like he gave up his will for life. I really held a furry for him then..." Innoue's cheeks reddened, a sign that she was ashamed of her words. Ishida couldn't resist a faint smile. The same, old Innoue...

"But now I have started to realize that's what he truly wanted. It was his choice to go like this." the last tear slipped from the corner of her eye, but she made no effort to wipe it. "Before he go, he explained everything to me, about the Room of Memories, about the Rain...He told me not to worry. I couldn't..." she hid her face in her palms, looking terribly tired. "I worried, and I cried...I swore and I yelled that I would never forgive him."

Ishida stared at her with wide eyes. It was the first time he had seen her like this, so talkative, even...

"But now I know." she whispered. "I know she would never leave him in his slumber, neither would he want to lose all of his memories…Everything precious to him lies there." Smiling bitterly she rose her head and took a sharp breath with her eyes closed.

"He never meant to belong here, after all…And I intend to let him know that I believe him now..."

**~.~**

_Soul Society_

In the deep darkness of her room, Rukia frowned. She felt a light pressure in her head as if someone was trying to communicate with her. She stood still and focused on the feeling, opening her mind to the nothingness. Awaiting, she wondered why this presence felt so familiar, though the only being able to communicate through her mind was Sode No Sirayuki, her zanpakuto.

_'Kuchiki-San…'_ she heard a voice calling her name, a voice of an old woman.

_'Who is it? What do you want?'_ she responded, pushing back the urge to stop the communication.

_'Take good care of him, please…'_ said the voice. Rukia's eyes shot open as the presence disappeared from her mind, leaving a bitter taste of recognition behind, a faint aroma of flowers.

"Innoue?" Rukia muttered and touched her head. Searching deep into the past, she couldn't remember the woman being a telepath. But…

"I cannot be mistaken. It was her voice…" she whispered. Innoue must had spent all of her remaining reiatsu to reach her mind through the void of the two worlds.

"Only to ask me to take care of Ichigo…" The woman smiled a genuine smile of happiness. That meant Innoue wasn't mad at them, as Ichigo had thought.

She sighed in relief. Being the 'other woman' was the last thing she had ever wanted; that's why she had withdrawn on purpose, so many years ago. But still, when she welcomed Ichigo in Soul Society, she knew what Innoue would think of her…

And she didn't like it.

She had tried to forget about him. She did her share of trying for sixty years, but secretly she waited for the time when he would return to her. As much as she despised herself for thinking this way, even if she knew that Ichigo was married to a wonderful woman – what she should be happy for – she waited. She came to wish for his early death only to have him…

But those thought remained unspoken, personal and unlit inside her heart. She tried to leave with them and marry for his happiness instead. She heard that Innoue gave him two daughters, something she would never be capable of. The feeling of loss became too hard to carry, yet she tried harder. News of them living happily together, taking care of their family reached her, and left her frozen and sadder than ever. Still….she could hate neither of them.

But when she felt the tingling, so familiar reiatsu getting closer by the minute, she couldn't but run as fast as her legs could take her. She had rushed to the Room of Memories, filled with the secret hope that he would wake up and regain his memories, something she knew was as likely as the sky turning red.

She smiled at the resent memory. Miracles do happen sometimes, it seemed…

And now another miracle had happened, aching to complete her utter happiness.

"Rukia…?" she hadn't heard him entering the room. Ichigo knelt next to her with a worried expression all over his face. He wiped her cheek with a soothing movement. "Why are you crying?" he asked. The woman touched her cheeks. They were, indeed, wet from tears she hadn't realized were spilling from her eyes.

_'I am…?'_

She smiled. "They are tears of joy." She answered. Ichigo stared at her, puzzled.

The wrinkles disappeared from his forehead. "Will you tell me what happened or I will have to guess?" he joked.

"Oh, you will soon find out…" she muttered as she got lost in his arms, breathing in the scent of his body. The steady heartbeat, the warmth, the light sound of his breathing…They were all saying the same thing: Ichigo was there, at last. He was there to stay…

With her…

For her…

For ever.

* * *

_**First Bleach F.F : achievement unlock!**_

_**Note : Maybe you noticed two song titles while reading the story? "Never meant to belong" and "Here to stay" are two of my favorites Bleach themes, also very suited if you wish to create the right atmosphere while reading. ;) Trust me, you will like it.  
**_

_**If you want to see more of this kind of stories, let me know! Leave your reviews/opinions/responses below!**_

_**Until my next story**_

_**xxx**_

_**Disclaimer : I don't own Bleach or the Bleach Themes mentioned above!  
**_


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